Do you ever felt disconnected from God despite your desire to pray? Do you find yourself distracted, pre-occupied, or self-centered when it comes to your prayer life? There's a simple, ancient practice that might transform your spiritual journey, one that a humble monastery kitchen worker discovered centuries ago.

Have your prayers become predictable and routine? "Dear God, here's a bunch of people who are sick, here's some things I need… Good talk, see you on Sunday. Amen." If we're honest, many of us fall into this pattern more often than we'd like to admit. Prayer is one of those topics that we as Christians like to talk about a lot, but in reality, we don't do nearly as much of it as we should.

What did the city of Jerusalem look like in biblical times? Perhaps you've seen photos of the modern city with its impressive walls and sacred sites. Or maybe you've been fortunate enough to visit the Holy Land yourself. But what was Jerusalem like when David first established it as Israel's capital nearly 3,000 years ago? The answer might surprise you.

Sometimes the actions of certain Bible characters seem strange or even troubling to our modern sensibilities. What if understanding the ancient world could completely transform how you read these familiar stories? Let’s take a look at King David with a little help from archaeology.